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B. F. FOWLER.

FOLDING BEDi APPLICATION FILE AUG. I. I9|5. 1,303,875. Patented May`20, 1919.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I.

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@fraz/vf vis B. F. FOWLER.

FOLDING BED.

APPucATloN FILED Aue. 1. 915.

Patented May 20, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

By @Mwbml sTM-Es rarami I roLnING BED. i

To all 'whom 'it may concern: l

'Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. Fownn'n, a citizen of the United States, resident of Minneapolis, county of'HennepimpState of Minnesota, have invented 'certain new andV useful v Improvementsy in Folding Beds,V of which thev following is a speciflcation.'

The object ofmy'invention is to provide a bed adapted to be swung'down into th'eroo'm forl use and raised to an upright position within a closet door opening for concealing the entrance to the closet and allowing access to the closet in the rear of the bed.

A further object is to provide a folding bed in which all counter-weights are eliminated and in which there will be absolutely no'danger of the bed accidentally closing.

Other'objects of theV invention will'appfear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out-in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings foi- 1n,ing`l part of this specification,

Figure 1 1s a view of a closet door frame,

showing the bed raised and closing the open- Fig. 2 is a verticalsectionalview, transversely of the bed and the opening,

F ig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, showing the bed lowered to a horizontal position,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, showing the device for counter-balancing the weight of the bed and preventing its accidental closing.

In the drawing, 2 represents a door frame, through which access is had to the closet 3. 4 is a frame or casing, mounted to slide in a guide-way 5 in the floor of the closet and having a hanger 6 provided with an antifriction roll 7 to ride on a supporting rod 8 in the top of the closet near the outer walls thereof. 9 is a panel, forming the door of the closet and also the bottom of the bed and having legs 10 and an ordinary bed spring 11 mounted thereon. Brackets 12 are mounted on the inner end of said panel and have slots 13 therein to receive antifriction .wheels 14 mounted in the side walls of the casing 4. Sheaves 15 are mounted in the walls of the casing and cables 16 are attached at one end to counter-balance springs Application ieanugpst 7,1915. kserial,1\0.ai,a3.

17 and* pass under. the sheavesl ySpecification:of Letters Patent.k i 20- connected'at 18'to'V the brackets 12'.

and are Anti-friction rollers 19 are mounted in the brackets '12 to bear 'on a'plate 20"'that is hinged at' 21 to Vthejw'all Vof the casing and' a spring 22=is mounted to v.bear on the plate v20 and resist' outward movement" thereof when the bed is pulledv down to a horizontal position, and rollers 19 bearing: on the plate 20 will push it outwardly against the tension of the spring and resist the downward' movement of the bed and at thesame time the springs 17 will"be putunder tension byfthe' downward pull Vof the cables '16 thereon. When the bcdapproaches its horizontal position, the rollers 19 will have passed ythe center of the aXis ofthe bed'and the pressure ofthe rollers on the plate will `loe relieved* and the spring willv return the plateto its normal position as indicated in Fig,V 4',`whifle the springs 17 will beV under tension to assist in the initial raising ofthe bed. 1- As indicated 'n Fig. 3,7the `loedis mounted Ato' slide back in the closet in a plane parallely with the door opening, so that suiicient space will be provided to allow a person to enter the closet and pass in back of the bed. When, however, the bed is pulled forward, the closet door opening will be entirely closed and the bottom of the bed will present the appearance of an ordinary closet door and the bed may be lowered through the opening to its open position.

"The bed when pushed back into the closet will not be visible and when pulled forward in frontl of the door opening will form a con'iparatively close joint with the door casing and present a nea-t, finished appearance and at the same time exclude dust and dirt from the closet where clothing may be hanging. In reality, the bed when pulledfto a point opposite the door opening, Vhas the appearance of a closed door. When the bed is positioned opposite the opening, it may be easily and quickly loweredto a horizontal position, ready for use. The details in the manner of mounting the bed on the wall of the closet may be varied to suit different conditions of installation and still be within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a wall having a closet in the rear thereof and provided with an opening for access to said closet, of a track mounted in said closet above said opening and'extending across the same, a casing suspended"'on" said trackv to move vfrom a concealed position within the closet to va position opposite',ifsaidsopening, said4 casing being seated against the frame of Isaid opening on the inside of the closet' when positioned oppositesaid opening and forming a' comparativelyl close joint withv said frame, and a bedmounted in said cas. ingl to swing outwardly land downwardly through said opening to `a :horizontal position, said bed being wholly concealed when said casing'pis withdrawn ronithe position opposite said opening and the underside of Vsaid bed being fashioned to represent a vdoor Y for said closetivhen saidcasing is moved to a position to close said opening. v

A 2.' The combination, Wthpa Wall having a closet in the rear thereof and provided with an opening for access to said closet, of a track mountedfin said closet above said opening and extending across the same, a

casingy suspended'on said 'track to move from a concealed position within the 'closet to a position opposite said opening', said casing being' seated against the iframe' of said lopening on the inside oiV thev closet when positioned opposite saidi'opening and forming a comparativelyV close 'joint with said frame, and a (bed mountedY in said casing to kswing outwardly and downwardly 'through said lopening to a horizontal posi-v Copies of this patent may be obtained.' for tion,v said bed being wholly concealed 'when said casing 'is withdrawn from" the position Y oppositesaid opening and the underside of said bed-:being lfashioned to represent a Vdooi` for' said closet when said casing is closetinthe rear thereof and provided with" an opening for'access to said Vclosetg'rof a( track mounted in Ysaid closet and extending acrosssaid opening, a casing supported onY said track `Vfor movement back and forth. thereonV from a concealed position: within` said closet to a position opposite said openf saidfopening' and forming .af comparatively close joint therewith lto close sai-dl opening' when positioned opposite the same, and a hed mounted in said casing and normally concealed when said Vcasing is withdrawn' from its position opposite said opening and adapted to swing outwardly and down-V wardly through said opening lwhen said Vcasing is positioned to close the saine.' Y, f

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of July,21915.

BENJAMIN F. FowLnR..

five cents eachfby addressing che Commissioner of latents, Washington, ILC. l

o v5o ing, said Vcasing lappingl loyV theAV ira-meot` GOV 

